S. Koochekpour et al., VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR PRODUCTION IS STIMULATED BY GANGLIOSIDES AND TGF-BETA ISOFORMS IN HUMAN GLIOMA-CELLS IN-VITRO, Cancer letters, 102(1-2), 1996, pp. 209-215
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an angiogenic factor whic
h is known to be expressed in several malignancies including glioma. T
he effect of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) isoforms as we
ll as gangliosides on VEGF production was investigated in human glioma
cell lines. TGF-beta isoforms and gangliosides were found to differen
tially stimulate VEGF production by these cells. The ganglioside GD3 e
nhanced this release to the greatest extent and the stimulation was mo
re marked in a glioblastoma cell line than in the two other anaplastic
astrocytoma cell lines. These results suggest that both TGF-beta s an
d gangliosides may act as indirect angiogenic factors by stimulating V
EGF secretion.